Perdante's jaw fell slack. "Mutiny?" she gasped. As Captain Starr and Visas left for the brig, she mumbled to Juhani, "That is not at all what I intended! I simply felt the Captain's aggression rolling off of her in waves, and it frightened me immensely. The Jedi teachings are correct: fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering. I did not control my emotions at that moment, seeking armed conflict instead of a peaceful resolution, as Soldier Zen suggested. I will follow Visas, the Captain, and their escort to the brig and beg pardon. If that doesn't work, then all is lost. Once again, Juhani, I have lost..." In a sign of humility, she unbound her hair.

When they all reached the lowest level of the Millennial, Perdante knelt down before the Captain as Visas Marr was led into a cell by the security droids. "Captain Starr," she began softly, "I implore you to forgive me for my aggression and insubordination earlier. It was a foolish and most likely fatal mistake on my part. If you wish to discontinue me from this mission, you may do so. I have utterly forgotten my place aboard this ship, thinking myself your superior due to my powers. You are right, Captain. I am not a true Jedi."

MIRACLE METALS, CORUSCANT

An administrative assistant droid was there to welcome Garren Shain as he stepped into the front offices of the Miracle Metals corporate building. One would imagine that such a building would be streamlined, noiseless, tall, and ergonomically designed and beautiful. Instead, it looked and sounded just like any other factory would--if, indeed, that factory were not at the peak of its technological capabilities. Miracle Metals was indeed a relic from the "bad old days", as some people called them, but the metal products it produced were truly miraculous. Most high-end medical equipment came from their center...

"Welcome to Miracle Metals, sir," said the droid. "How may I assist you?"

((Just so you know, Juhani's saber wasn't ignited. And she didn't interfere with Visas's capture, she was angry at the twi'lek not the captain.))

"I fought side by side with Jedi in two wars, And I don't know what either of you are, but you are most certainly not Jedi."

Juhani growled deep under her breath and followed the captain as she returned the saber to her belt but not before turning around and addressing her apprentice.

"Think you before you draw your sabers next time." She said slowly. "I did not interfere with Visas's capture so the captain may listen to me. But in the meantime...keep an eye on the twi'lek. I don't trust her."

She hurried after the Captain and made sure that her lightsaber was securly secured to her belt.

"First of all Captain, you have no idea what the jedi have been through. There are barely a hundred of us left in the galaxy right now and I will be the first to admit that the Jedi order has changed, and maybe not for the better. We are not the same jedi you fought with in the wars. And second...I apologize for my apprentice's behavior. She had no right to draw her sabers against you."

She made sure she did not appear threatning but she didn't want to appear soft either.

((My apologies - I read that she pulled her saber, but must have misunderstood xD And thank you, Tysy))

"Nor did you have a right to try and hide the presence of a stowaway from my knowledge." Fara snapped. She wasn't a Jedi, so as far as she was concerned, she was entitled to as much righteous anger as she wanted. "I feel for the loss of your comrades, Master Jedi, but that cannot be used as an excuse here."

The captain was finished with talking to the Jedi - but they, apparently, were not finished with her. Just as the Miraluka was being put into a cell and just as Fara was moving to follow her, the apprentice barred her way. Fara's lips pressed together into a straight line as she looked down at the kneeling Jedi. Her face made no show of any other emotion but annoyance and a twinge of anger.

"No, you're not." She told her cooly, "And for all of this, I should drop you. If you were one of my crewmen, you would be court martialed and dicharged almost immediately." Her expression changed slightly, but it did not become any friendlier. "But as it is, your presence is a strategic neccessity - but know that if you act out again, even that will not be enough to save you." She stepped around the woman and proceeded to the stowaway's cell. "Now get out of my sight."

With both Jedi dealt with in the captain's eyes, she proceeded to stand in front of the forcefield that shut off the Miraluka's cell. Everything in the room - including the woman herself - carried a blue tint to it. "Perhaps now you'll have a chance to answer my questions. Most pertinent, I think, is your name."

Juhani watched as the captain left, making sure to keep Visas in sight as they walked her toward the brig. Juhani was trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down but it wasn't working. She could feel the darkside tearing away at her peace of mind.

Who...does that woman think she is?! I never tried to hide Visas away from the captain. That cursed twi'lek was the one who suggested it. All I did was say that Visas was under my protection...She came in at the wrong moment.

She stood still in the hallway as she visibly struggled not to ignite her lightsaber. That would set off quite a few alarms and right now she didn't want to draw any attention to herself.

She walked directly toward the captain and whispered in her ear. "Before you start accusing people of sheltering stowaways, you might wish to talk the twi'lek. She suggested that Visas hide in her quarters." Juhani hissed as she walked past and went to her quarters, making sure that the door was locked behind her. She sat down on her bed and attempted to begin her meditation but she was too angry to focus.

((NOTE: Now would be the perfect time for the Millennial Mole to find Perdante and make slow inroads toward reaching her--to soothe her wounded pride, first off. It is no accident that Perdante Dareva is akin to Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith!))

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

"Aye, aye," Perdante replied quickly, fleeing away from the Captain, Visas Marr, and the brig. She knew full well what she had done wrong, but what if Captain Starr had been planning on attacking Visas Marr, the accused stowaway who was now locked in a cold, dark cell in the brig on the Millennial's lower level? No matter. She had made her mistake, and now she would pay for it by facing the Captain's distrust and scorn, perhaps for the rest of the mission...Everything was going wrong. What an utter mess!

She suddenly felt in the mood for a cold, stiff drink of juma juice. Finding nothing in the cold storage refrigeration unit but water, however, she settled for that. Sitting down in one of the metal chairs, she slumped her head down on the table. She wasn't going to cry--Jedi were supposed to be long past feeling such emotions. Instead, she just let herself breathe for a moment.

"My name is Visas Marr, Captain Starr. I am familiar with your name, I am a former Jedi and so I used to be in contact with Admiral Carth Onasi. He often sought my presence for word of the Exile and Revan, since they both vanished into the Unknown Regions of space", Visas stated and then sat down on the cold metal bed of the brig.

"I shall save you your breath and answer the most pertinent question at this time, why I am here? You see, for the past years the visions I had of the Exile began getting more scarce, and with that I started to feel her presence fading further and further. Having my life sworn to her, I decided to investigate on my own about her whereabouts. I heard from your mission from Admiral Onasi, he suggested I left the business alone. But I could not. I had to make sure I was able to gather as much clues of her whereabouts as fast as possible. You are going after Kristoff of the Found, well I need answers from him as well. He is the one link I have right now to the fate of the exile and Revan. I did not want to miss such opportunity and for that I stowed away on your ship. I apologize for my actions, and will not oppose resistance to the punishment you intend to place on me for this. But I ask you, of your good will, if you would allow me the chance to speak to this Kristoff if you find him", Visas explained, she hoped this would answer most of the questions that the Captain might have.

"Yes, my name is Lun Beron, I'm with the Health & Safety department of the Coruscant job board, and I'm here to inspect your plant." Garren told the receptionist, pulling out the appropriate ID. "So far, I'm not impressed. And don't tell me I'm not expected, that's the whole point. If you were expecting me, you could make it look a lot more up to code than it really is."

The reception droid cleared its "throat". "I assure you, Mister Beron," it replied, "that a thorough inspection of our plant will reveal it is ENTIRELY up to code. I am going to summon our foreman, Link Tarack, to assist you in this matter."

"No need," said Link Tarack, a burly, ruddy-faced man of about forty-five. Some strange lesions were spread all down his hirsute arms. "Sir? Come with me." He had a cigon dangling from his blubbery lips, and his hard hat was worn askew.

"Certainly." Garren replied, following the burly foreman into the plant. "Now, this company dealt in ostanovium prior to it being banned by the Senate. I trust that since then, you've taken the proper disposal procedures. Am I correct?"

“Boredom!” Jedi Padawan Arai Elan sang softly to her good friend, Padawan Dominic Travesty. She grinned at him and nodded subtly to where their masters were in intense discussions with some random Selkath. They’d been fully introduced to the young padawans, but Arai hadn’t cared enough to remember.

“Dom,” she whispered to him. “Are you as bored as I am?”

His head rolled on his neck to exaggerate his eyeroll. "Force yes..."

There was that sparkle in Arai’s eyes, the one that said she was scheming up something. But all she said was, “Sure is wet around here…”

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow - but he understood a second after his gaze caught hers. His eyes picked up that same sparkle. "It sure is...I'm sure the Masters would positively hate getting wet..."

Arai nodded. “Alright,” she said, ever the planner. “There’s one way to do this that they’ll be certain it was us and there’s at least seven ways they’ll… actually, they’ll just be certain it was us, but the straightforward approach, a simple Force shove is too bland. It’s gotta make a splash.” She giggled. “Pun totally intended.”

"Hmm..." he surveyed the area...and quickly saw that this was their lucky day. "Look - the boardwalk is under construction. The scaffolding--"

Arai's eyes sparkled in silent laughter and she glanced toward their masters and the Selkath. An element of urgency entered her expression. "Quickly, Dom! Their meeting is almost over."

Dominic slid to his feet and moved quickly, staying low and silent as he and Arai crossed to the scaffolding. He didn't dare use the Force - his master would surely sense it - so this would have to be done by hand...not to mention, he needed to get close enough to examine the scaffolding in order to know how to loosen it.

The metal piping that made up the make-shift boardwalk was supported by two durasteel rods that stood out from the side of the sea wall; the platform above those rods stuck directly out over open water. Skimming across the edge of the walkway that was currently under construction - an easy task, considering the team assigned to it had apparently taken a break elsewhere - and left the side closest to their previous position to Arai. He bent over the edge of the sea wall to look at the mechanism. It was a swinging joint, held tightly in position by a simple bolt. Looking to Arai, he silently made a twisting motion, indicating that she should simply loosen the bolt. He knew that if the platform had weight on it - say, the weight of two masters and their Selkath companions - and nothing to support it, then it would tip very quickly to a very precarious angle...

Arai glanced swiftly back the way they'd come and twisted the bolt loose. With a quick thumbs-up gesture to Dom, she hurried back the way they'd come. She and Dom reentered the meeting room just as their masters were bowing to conclude the meeting. She grinned to Dom, winked, and then put on the solemn expression expected of Jedi Padawans.

He did the same, folding his arms into the wide arms of his outer robe. His face was solemn, expressionless, his eyes keen and dutifully observant. When the masters indicated for them to follow, he nodded with a "yes, Master," and followed obediently. Of course, he was careful enough to stay several steps behind the Selkath so that when the walkway gave way, dumping five flailing bodies into the endless sea of Manaan, he was safely away.

As the masters and their Selkath friends tumbled into the sea, Arai laughed and wrapped her arms around Dominic. "Have I told you today how brilliant you are?" she asked.

He couldn't answer her for a long time, so heavy was his laughter. His arm automatically settled around her waist as he rocked sideways, bumping shoulders with her. Raising an arm, he wiped away a tear as he began to breathe again. "Not yet," he said lightly, grinning down at her. "I think you're overdue."

Giggling, Arai leaned her head against his shoulder and looked down into the water. "Ooh," she said softly. "They are not looking terribly peaceful down there..."

The masters' disproving, evil-eyed glare faded from his mind's eye as he was returned to the present by the sound of a passing starship. Dominic's cool green eyes flicked upward to watch it hum across the horizon and then disappear over his head, dropping lower every second until it disappeared into a docking bay. He shook his head rapidly for a second before standing straight again, stepping away from the sea wall he'd been leaning against.

The waves lapped with the same steady rhythm they had all those years ago, when things were still simple, before he had so many questions, before the galaxy went so wrong. On that day, it had been just him and Arai, running together, training together, getting into serious trouble with their masters together. And then the missions pulled her away from the Academy, and their paths diverged in two totally opposite directions.

But she found him again, by some stroke of luck or fate, and now he couldn't get her out of his head. Most of the time, his search for Khristoff kept him successfully distracted...but now that he was left doing nothing as the time until his Kolto order was ready, he had nothing to distract himself, and so she filled his mind again. With a sigh that was a mixture of exhaustion and discouragement, he turned around and decided to hunt down the nearest cantina. A drink would do him good.

Arai's attention snapped back to the sea and for a moment she felt almost sick. "What the Force was that?" she murmured. But she didn't have to be told; she knew almost immediately that she had just shared a vision of the past with an old friend. And that meant he was close. The nausea was simply a side-effect of the fact that he had somehow rejected the Force. Ostanovium was her best guess.

She glanced down at the data chip in her fingers. Then, with a disgusted face, she pitched it into the sea below and spun to enter the cantina behind her. So far, every path she'd followed for information on what she now referred to as the "metal of death" had been a dead end. Even the so-called "supplier" of the metal had turned out to know far less than he'd thought he did. Another waste of time.

Just as she crossed the threshold into the cantina, her right shoulder brushed against someone else entering the same cantina. With that faint contact came a vivid image of a young boy with bright green eyes and messy blond hair... Arai lurched a bit ungracefully to her left and stared at him, more than a little shocked.

"Dom," she breathed. Then, she grinned from ear to ear. They'd shared a vision of the past; she knew from that connection that he was here. So why was running into him here such a surprise? And this time, they were both standing, making it just that much easier to slip back into their younger roles as Arai instinctively embraced her old friend.

"Two chance run-ins in as many days, Tinker?" she said, poking his side playfully. "A third time and I'll really start to wonder if you're following me."

Dominic shifted as his shoulder was brushed, turning to look at the new comer, an apology already on his lips. The cantina was crowded, and the line for the barkeep's attention was a long one, so it wasn't much of a surprise that someone just entering would accidentally run in to him...but it was a surprise that the bumper would be the very woman that was now occupying his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, as if to make certain that he was actually seeing her - like a few blinks could wipe away a delusion.

"Or I might just have a drinking problem." he grinned, hugging her back quickly before stepping back from her. Tinker. It had been a long time since anyone had called him that. "Long time no see. How'd that business on Coruscant go?"

Somehow, the Arai from this moment and the Arai from his memory melded into one person for just this occasion. Suddenly, there was no reason to be stand-offish or cautious; it was just him and an old friend, a friend he hadn't seen in a long time. But that effect would soon wear off - especially once it worked its way out of his subconscious and he realized what was going on.

Dominic wasn't the only one lost in a world that had long since faded into the past.

"Business as usual," Arai answered with a shrug. "Exiled Jedi-turned-mercenary turns a slave trafficking ring upon itself, frees nearly fifty captives in the process." A beat. "Well, alright so I did have help on that one..." She grinned faintly. "Mind you, Republic Intel was a little wary of working with me. Have been ever since the Jedi threw me out, you know..."

And just as suddenly as she slipped into the role of his best bud "Raia", she came back to her senses, back to the present, albeit reluctantly. She brought her right hand up and ran it through her hair, a puzzled expression on her face. She didn't want to give up that closeness and she wanted him to know it.

"Force, Dom," she said softly, "I don't know if I realized 'till just now how much I missed having you around..."

Garren Shain wondered what would happen if the words "um" and "uh" were suddenly removed from foreman Link Tarack's vocabulary. Garren suspected that Link wouldn't have very much of a vocabulary LEFT with which to work!

"Um, uh, disposal procedures? We usually let our droids handle that, but as, uh, ostanovium is, um, a metal, we, uh, haven't been exactly sure what to, um, do in these incendiary circumstances." Link scratched his head. Did "incendiary" mean "out of the ordinary" or "able to light things on fire"? At the moment, he couldn't remember. Come to think of it, Link himself couldn't remember a lot of things lately. He was only fifty-five years old, too. Sure, your memory wasn't what it was at the age of twenty, but then again...

Was he experiencing early signs of dementia? Link suddenly grew scared.

"Look," he sighed. "I'm just a shift foreman here. If you really want to talk to someone who's in charge of metals disposal, talk to the guy in the hazardous materials biosuit over there." Link jerked his thumb over toward the said personage. "Rodian. Name's Targee Ghut. He'd know about that stuff you're talking about. Osta-whatchamacallit. Good luck with everything, sir..."

"Well, having a dishonorable discharge from the Jedi Order isn't exactly the best thing to have on one's resume..." Dominic chuckled, his arms falling back to his sides as he stepped back from her. The crowd by the bar was beginning to dwindle as patrons received their drinks and dispersed, filtering away to tables and chairs. The two friends made it to the bar in no time.

"Yeah...sometimes, I do wish I had someone to play a prank or two on." he said with a light shrug when they reached the bar, and, leaning an elbow against the side of the bar top, he asked, "Do you still drink Juma?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, PRISON LEVEL

"You worked with the Jedi Exile?" Fara asked, the faintest traces of awe working its way through her carefully composed cold facade. When she realized that she was slipping, she straightened her expression and stood a little straighter, closing her hands behind her back in a trademark military fashion. "Well then, Ms. Marr, that is a fairly fantastic tale; the Exile is practically a living legend, so you'll have to forgive me for being a little skeptical of your connection to her. If you don't mind, I'm going to have my men run a quick background check to verify your story. If it turns out you're telling the truth..." she seemed to be thinking of what to say as she said it. After a short pause, she finished, "We'll talk again after the results come back."

And with that, Fara made an about-face and left the Miraluka alone in her cell, signaling one of the patrolling guards to follow her. Giving sharp, curt orders, she had him running off to another level to have a background check on one Visas Marr. However, she didn't much feel like returning to the Bridge just yet - and seeing as they wouldn't be dropping out of hyperspace any time soon, she turned left at the elevator instead of right, and went on.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, COMMAND BRIDGE

"Oh, I dunno." Mica said as he stood straight again, putting both hands behind his head. "We'll all get medals, I suppose - maybe even a promotion! The Admiral gets that this is a hugely bad problem, so if we can beat it, then we're sure to get a hugely good reward...an upgrade in pay, new uniforms, maybe even a squad or two under our--"

The elder twin's daydreaming was abruptly interrupted by his brother's sharp, jerking rise from his seat. The motion made it look as though he had just been stabbed in the back side with a red hot iron, and his expression spoke of the same. "I can't stand listening to your babble." he growled lowly, and turned for the door. "I'm getting a drink, if Fara needs me."

Mica watched his counterpart leave the Bridge with a shocked, bewildered gaze. Sal had had all the anger of a freshly-branded Rancor...and for no reason! His mouth, which had gone slack, now worked like a fish out of water. "But...but...you're not supposed to leave your station!" He called, but it didn't matter. He was already gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

Salvatore practically collapsed onto a stool in front of the Mess Hall's bar, ordering up a draft of Tarisian Ale. It wasn't the real stuff, naturally - but a brew as strong and popular as Taris' pride and joy never disappeared for good so long as someone had had the brains to hang on to the recipe for it. When the mess captain OK'ed the dispersal of the drink, a chilled glass was slapped down in front of him and filled. He didn't waste any time; he tossed his head back and took a big gulp, eyes beginning to water as the alcohol seared his tongue and throat. Once he'd swallowed the liquid, he breathed a sigh, blinked, and surveyed the area.

It didn't take long for his eyes to land on the Jedi woman that was sitting two empty seats to his left. He looked at her for only a moment before speaking. "Drinking already, Jedi?" he asked, his face straight as he lifted his own glass. "That's rather unhealthy for you." And down went another quarter of the glass.

Zen could tell both Juhani and Perdante were upset with what was happening to one of their own. He too knew that feeling of helplessness and how horrible it felt. He did not know this Visas Marr, but she was trusted by Juhani and that was enough for him to take action. He waited a few seconds for everyone else to leave before following. He watched Perdante walk off and bowed his head slightly. She truly was a noble warrior with much potential but she still had much to learn. Zen rounded a corner and made sure no one saw him before turning own his armor's active camouflage feature. The suit made a slight hum to indicate the camo had been activated. He walked back down to the prison level where the Captain was interrogating Visas. As both Juhani and Perdante had come to his aid when he was angered, he would do the same by making sure one of their own was not harmed. Seeing that the Captain was only asking questions, Zen found himself easing up on his guard. He watched the Captain walk out of the room out of the corner of his eye and did not move for a few more seconds. He deactivated his camo to let it recharge, and also assuming she could see him.

"You are a comrade of Grand Master Juhani," he said to her. "I am Zen Zoramee, a Sangheili Warrior, and currently the leader of the Reclaimers. Like you I am a comrade of Juhani. Being her comrade I trust everything you stated is true and this misunderstanding will be worked out shortly."

That was indeed his original intention when he stayed in the area. They were all comrades now and aiding one another was key. It was until Visas spoke of her intentions that Zen was struck with curiosity. She wanted to keep The Prophet of Truth alive? His teachings were all wrong and had only led to death. For that Zen would make sure that Kristoff fell by his blade.

"You say you wish to speak to Kristoff in order to find you comrades? I have no problem in helping you accomplish your task as we are comrades now...my only request is that I can finish him off once you are through with him."

"Rather unhealthy?" Perdante asked Sal with a wry upturn of her full lips. "I think my liver will be slightly poisoned today, if not substantially." She sighed and shook her head. "No. I won't get completely loaded. That would make the Captain hate me even more than she already does, at least for now. She doesn't need any drunk Jedi aboard her ship, or quasi-Jedi."

Taking another sip of her juma juice, she continued, "I shouldn't have ignited my sabers. That was wrong, more wrong than wrong ever was. However, am I not really a Jedi after all? I said I'd stand down if the Captain promised not to harm Visas Marr. I wasn't planning on the mutiny she assumed I was planning," Perdante said disgustedly, "and neither was my mentor, Juhani. Visas? She wasn't intending on taking over the ship, either. Seriously!"

She downed the rest of her shot in one gulp. "What say you, Sal? Hmm?"

"I say in retrospect, flirting with women who are Force-users and stowaways is a pretty bad idea. And all things considered, her lack of eyes is a bit of a turnoff." Niera said as she entered, joining the group in the mess hall. "Although, I'm just glad the captain hasn't questioned me yet for my involvement. Why am I not surprised that the Cathar already doesn't like me?"

************************

Instead of immediately speaking with Targhee Ghut, Garren went to a directory for the building in order to locate the main shipping office. After finding it, he went to speak to the Rodian. "Tell, me, how have you been disposing of ostanovium?"

"Ooh, that metal," replied Targhee Ghut. "Ostanovium bad-bad. We dispose of it here. Flush it down through these pipes." Targhee gestured to a labyrinthine array of ductwork. "Step one: Melt it down. Step two: Mix with water. Step three: Flush through pipes. That what big-big politician say to do." Targhee shrugged. "I do not know how much she knows about metal, but I think this is stupid way to get rid of bad-bad stuff. Still, she pays us..."

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

Perdante's head suddenly swiveled around. "You were trying to flirt with Visas Marr?" The young Jedi stifled a giggle. "And here I thought you were simply offering her a place to hide from the Captain and her security droids! Interesting..." She drummed her fingers on the counter. "Oh, and about Juhani? She didn't exactly like me when she first met me. Granted, I was a Sith Initiate at the time who was trying to duel her to the death! Fractured my tibia, she did, and after that I wasn't much for winning our epic battle."

Juhani was trying to calm herself, to rid herself of the anger that she was feeling but she simply couldn't. She didn't even know why she was angry anymore. All she could see was the face of her former master Quatra. The one that she had nearly killed back during her days at the Dantooine academy.

But the academy was gone now. As were nearly all of the Jedi who had resided there during the jedi civil war. The academy had been destroyed by the found and now only the academy on Coruscant remained.

All those lives lost...What have we jedi done to the galaxy to deserve such hatred? We rose to the defense of the Republic time and time again. And yet we are still hated.

Her anger was reaching a breaking point as the walls of her quarters began to creak and groan as the raw force energy she was putting out began to bend the metal. An alarm began to go off.

But Juhani was unaware. It was as if she was stuck in a trance filled with anger and rage of her own making.

Garren was horrified, but at the same time, realised this was better evidence than he hoped for. "I see. Now, I've checked the schematics of this building, and do you know where these pipes lead? They lead into the supply lines for drinking water all over the planet. What you're supposed to do is incinerate it. Now, I'll need everything relating to this politician that you have on file, especially video footage." He told the rodian, suddenly not caring if he broke his cover.

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

"You know, it's a bit of a shame you're so tied down to the Jedi Code. Garren and I could really use someone like you on our ship." Niera told her, helping herself to some the imitation Tarisian Ale.

Rodians do not blush. Nor do their faces turn pale. Nevertheless, if Targhee Ghut had been human, he would have done the latter. "No!" he squealed, his bulbous black eyes seeming to pop even further out of his head. "Me no can do that. Big-big politician say if reporters come and want to take pictures, then me should summon Big Boss Link and have him smash them good! Uh--of course, me no can do that, either," stammered Targhee. "Me engineer. Me not fighter. Me give you fair-fair deal. How about you no take pictures, but in exchange me burn up all the bad-bad stuff. Okays?" He tried to smile.

"Big-big politician get mad if yous take pictures. She send men in all black to kill Targhee if he tell. Me see them around plant from time to time. Look!" The engineer pointed. "Janitor not janitor. He assassee--uh, kill-kill guy."

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

"I don't see it as being tied down, necessarily," replied Perdante. "The Jedi Code has helped to calm me--except when dire situations emerge, like the confrontation between the Captain and Visas. I'm ashamed of what I've done, because it's one thing to keep calm when things are going well, and quite another to keep your emotions completely in check during a crisis. I think I'll stay on the Millennial for now, but thanks for the offer!"

She winked at Niera, finding her a very attractive and sensible Twi'lek, despite what Captain Starr thought. Perdante was less than thrilled to imagine what the Captain thought of her. Thus, she took another sip of her juma juice, prudently wanting to stick to one shot instead of several.

"Well, having a dishonorable discharge from the Jedi Order isn't exactly the best thing to have on one's resume..." Dominic chuckled, his arms falling back to his sides as he stepped back from her. The crowd by the bar was beginning to dwindle as patrons received their drinks and dispersed, filtering away to tables and chairs. The two friends made it to the bar in no time.

"Yeah...sometimes, I do wish I had someone to play a prank or two on." he said with a light shrug when they reached the bar, and, leaning an elbow against the side of the bar top, he asked, "Do you still drink Juma?"

"Especially when the Republic depends so heavily on the Order," Arai agreed. "Not that they'll admit to any such thing, but you know they do."

When he asked about the drink, Arai stood beside him at the bar and mirrored his pose. "Juma's good, yeah." Once the drink orders were placed, she said, "So what brings you to Manaan?" With a teasing grin, she added, "Well, apart from following me that is."

His smile suddenly became very stiff at her question. What did he tell her? The truth? He didn't want to worry her...but he didn't really want to lie to her either. He could lie to just about anyone - his activities of the past few years required him to be a fabulous actor - but Arai was different. Finally, after several seconds had elapsed and he took a look around the room and could stall no longer, he gave a light toss of his shoulders.

"I just had to pick up some medicine." he said lightly, dismissively - hoping that the minimal inflection in his voice would allow her to dismiss the meaning of the words, too. He nodded a thank-you to the barkeep as the two jumas appeared in front of them. Taking the glass, he lifted it to his lips and took a sip before looking back to her. "What about you?"

She saw him stiffen and wondered what it meant. Cautiously, she called on the Force to see if her shatterpoint ability could explain to her why her former friend was so dodgy. His verbal answer did not satisfy, but she had no time to press him further; he turned the question back on her. With him being so evasive, she was put even more on her guard at the returning question. Did she dare tell him why she was there?

Yes, she told herself. But she didn't have to be entirely truthful as to her motives.

"Research," she answered. "There's this stuff called ostanovium. Some sort of metal and I'm interested, but few people in the galaxy seem to have heard of it, let alone know much of anything about it."

"It's a deal. Am I right in guessing she specifically said pictures." Garren replied. Then, remembering what the rodian said about the janitor, he added. "Now, if Plina Skelch is working for who I think she's working for, she'd know my real name, even if she can't put a face to it, and she'd want me dead. Because my name isn't Lun Beron, it's Garren Shain!" That would be enough to provoke the fake janitor into doing something really stupid.

His lips stiffened again - the only change in his expression as he looked into the glass - but it didn't last for long this time. It turned into an easy smile, but under the edge of his cloak, his right fist opened and closed involuntarily.

"You would latch onto something that no one's ever heard of." he muttered lowly, taking another drink before setting the glass down again. "So what is this - a job you're getting paid for? Or just for the hell of it?"

That was one suspicion he needed to put to rest. Dominic didn't want to think of his oldest friend as a threat, and if she was being paid to do this research, she could easily become just that. Then again, after the destruction that the Coruscant branch of the Found underwent, he had to wonder if there was any further damage that could even be done.

Arai pressed her lips together. Why did he have to be so damned curious? On second thought, why did they have to be tiptoeing so carefully around one another? They were best friends for Force sake! But as soon as the thought came to her, she dismissed it. They weren't best friends anymore... not for a long while. And there was that 'fuzzy' quality to his presence in the Force. She had a suspicion she knew why.

The janitor nearby, clad in a nondescript black suit that covered his whole body, heard Miracle Metals' newest visitor shout his REAL name: "Garren Shain"! That signaled the custodian-cum-assassin that his time was nigh. He removed a silenced blaster pistol from his belt, aimed, and shot.

Had anybody seen him? No--the workers in the plant were too busy slaving away over their welding torches and soldering irons. They hadn't heard or sensed the shot, which was natural because his blaster had been silenced.

He did not see Garren Shain fall, so he walked over to investigate the spot where the body was supposed to be. He kept his blaster aimed and ready...

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

Perdante suddenly doubled over in excruciating pain. Her mentor's anger was absolutely roaring through the Force, slicing like a blade through the relative tranquility on the ship. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming aloud.

"Excuse me," she said once the agony had subsided. "I think I need a little less alcohol and a little more inner peace in my body. Farewell!" With a wink that was halfway between sly and pained, she departed for Juhani's quarters.

The walls continued to creak and groan as they were bent beyond their limits as Juhani continued to focus on her anger and hatred. The sith may have always tried to destroy the Jedi, but at least they respected us as opponets. Fighting a jedi was considered a worthy challenge.

The door to her quarters began to bend as the anger she was feeling intensified as an alarm outside in the corridor began to blare.

The door finally bent beyond it's limits and fell off it's hinges as Juhani's thoughts turned to that of the Twi'lek. How dare that...that schutta bring such an indecent proposal to Visas! And she escaped punishment when punishment was due!

A massive wave of force energy finally exploded from her body as her anger reached the breaking point. Her bag of supplies was sent flying and the walls shuddered under the force of the wave.

The young Jedi rushed into Juhani's quarters, sprinting toward Juhani and gripping her in a tight hug. "Juhani, come on, stay with me. What's wrong?!?" She hadn't felt such fury since right before...well, since right before her old Master had murdered another one of his "failures" after the poor fool had failed to complete a mission. It was a Sith-type anger, not something Jedi would feel. Jedi would try to control this red-hot malice, and yet Juhani was not doing so...

Juhani did not hear the words of her apprentice as the anger began to build in her again. The captain...How dare she accuse us of hiding Visas! It was that shutta who was hiding her! How dare she accuse us!

Another, less powerful wave of force energy erupted from her body and sent her apprentice flying toward the wall only to have some sort invisible grip grab her and keep her from collding with the wall.

Despite being immersed in her anger and hatred there was some small part of her that couldn't harm her apprentice. A small part of her mind was screaming at her to stop, that if she continued this she would cause a hull breach. A bubble of raw force energy surrounded her.

Apprentice! that small part of her screamed through the force. Help...me...

To the "janitor", Garren seemed dead, until he noticed the smugglers undershirt being distinctly undamaged, and Garren's fist hitting his face. "Did you really think a blaster was enough to take me down?" Garren asked. The "janitor" was still stunned from the punch, and Garren tore off his mask, grabbing him by the lapel. "I'm sure Admiral Onasi will have plenty of questions for you."

Perdante heard Juhani's desperate cry through the Force. With every ounce of her iron will and power of concentration, she sent gentle waves of love and understanding toward her trainer. Your mind is full of hate. Let it go. Let utter calm encompass you...Breathe with me...There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force.

She felt Juhani's lethal anger begin to subside, although just the tiniest bit. She would have made a wonderful Sith, Perdy thought for a moment, and then, So would I have, but since she brought me back, it is my duty and my sacred calling to bring her back to the Light as well. If I don't at least try, then what good am I as a Jedi Knight and servant of the Force?

MIRACLE METALS, CORUSCANT

Immobilized, but not yet terrified, the assassin stared Garren Shain squarely in the eye and breathed heavily. Nerves of steel, Karu. Nerves of steel...

Hired killers of his caliber were almost never expected to come back from their missions alive, especially if their targets managed to gain the advantage over them. Karu knew he was supposed to be good--far, FAR better than this--and he decided he would rather die by his own hand than by Plina Skelch's. Yes, she was a staunch advocate of the right to own any sort of weapon one wished to, permit or no permit. Regulations only got in the way. Besides, if a thief or robber was out to get you, why not be armed beforehand? Thus, Karu smiled slowly and bit down on his hollowed-out back left molar, which contained a capsule of molten ostanovium-- instant death. In order to be non-lethal in seconds, the capsule had to contain powder, not liquid.

Karu convulsed violently, dry-heaving, and then fell lifeless to the plant floor.

Melany stared at Mica suspiciously. Then she answered with a smile, "All right. I just hope he'll be okay. Never thought a cheerful person could be upset like that, ya know?" The young smuggler chuckled.

Deep inside, Melany sensed something that Mica or nobody was telling her. "Better keep a close eye on these two..." the young woman thought to herself. She went beside Mica and smiled. "So, uh... do you guys ever do anything fun around here? Like sports or a game room?"